Tobacco harvesting stick



1965 F. H. WOOLARD TOBACCO HARVESTING STICK Filed Feb. 26, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FRITZ H.WOOL.ARD

ATTORNEYS Oct. 12, 1965 Filed Feb. 26, 1962 F. H. WOOLARD TOBACCOHARVESTING STICK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FRITZ H. WOOLARD I ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent 3,211,300 TOBACCO HARVESTING STICK Fritz HertfordWoolard, Pinetown, N.C. Filed Feb. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 175,552 4 Claims.(Cl. 2145.5)

This invention relates to the harvesting of tobacco and to equipment bywhich such harvesting is accomplished and intended to obtain a desiredresult in a minimum of time and With a minimum of elfort by the leastnumber of workmen.

The invention relates particularly to equipment capable of being usedwith a tractor by an individual farmer for handling a mass ofindividually harvested leaves of tobacco to enable the leaves to bereadily conveyed to a barn where they can be cured.

In the harvesting of tobacco, sticks have been cut of irregular size andconfiguration on which the leaves of tobacco could be strung and suchsticks hung in a barn for curing. In this trying endeavor it has been aproblem to obtain the needed workmen and the shortage has become andmore acute until it has become necessary for the farmer to find a way toharvest his tobacco with less labor.

It is an object of the invention to provide a conventional tractor witha shelf or table along the same of a character to receive tobaccothereon and to provide for use therewith a series of tobacco sticksincluding a hinge connecting the ends of two sticks, and which hingeincludes a pair of spaced sleeve portions, which can be forced one eachover an end of a stick and with a metal prong or tine strip attached toone of the sticks so that the stick to which the tine strip is attachedcan be in an upright or elevated position while the other stick is in agenerally 3,211,300 Patented Oct. 12, 1965 FIG. 2, a side elevation of atractor and a trailing vehicle;

FIG. 3, a vertical section on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, a perspective of the tobacco stick itself;

FIG. 5, a section on the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6, a perspective of the hinge itself; and

FIG. 7, a section on the line 77 of FIG. 6.

Briefly stated, the invention contemplates mounting a table formingplatform over each wheel of a tractor and the provision of a tobaccoharvesting stick of a pair of members connected by a hinge and betweenwhich members a mass of tobacco can be held and carried, the tablehaving a lengthwise groove in which one leg of the tobacco stick can bedisposed either before or after tobacco has been placed on the tableacross the groove, the

tobacco harvesting stick being composed of two convenhorizontal positionon the table until tobacco is distributed across and along the samefixed limits, whereupon the stick with the tine strip can be lowered toclamp and retain tobacco on the other stick and the free end portions ofthe sticks can be secured together as a unit by a link chain or otherfastening means for making it possible to pick up, transport and depositthe tobacco stick on a nearby or associated vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tobacco harvesting stickor holder of increased capacity which can be readily filled, and bymeans of which a greater quantity of tobacco can be handled with lesslabor and in less time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge which can bereadily driven onto or otherwise applied to the ends of two tobaccosticks pivotally connecting the same so that the free ends of the stickscan be brought together to clamp tobacco between the sticks, as well asto provide along one of the sticks a metal strip with spaced prongs ortines which will penetrate the tobacco and hold it in fixed relationbetween the cooperating sticks.

A further object of the invention is to provide a table or support for atwo-part tobacco harvesting stick, which table can be applied to atractor and is of a construction that the tobacco stick can be appliedbefore or after tobacco is placed on the table and the stick employed inthe handling of the newly harvested leaves of tobacco.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingwherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustrating the application of the invention toa tractor;

tional sticks fastened together by a hinge and having a sleeve or hollowportion at each side of the hinge, and which sleeve or hollow portioncan be driven over the end of a conventional stick to provide a holderhaving a pair of legs pivoted together at one end and capable of beingfastened together at the other by a chain or the like after a mass oftobacco distributed along the length of such legs has been securedtherebetween, one of the legs being provided with a metal strip withspaced prongs or tines and which strip is readily secured by spacednails or other fasteners to one of the legs of the stick, and with suchleg being adapted to be disposed, in upright position until thenecessary quantity of tobacco is placed over the lower leg whereupon itcan be lowered to clamp tobacco between it and the other leg and tocause the prongs or tines to penetrate the tobacco, and when the ends ofthe legs remote from the hinge are fastened together, the stick can bemoved as a unit and placed upon an additional vehicle for transportationto a barn or other place. With continued reference to the drawings, atractor 10 having rear wheels 11 and 12 and a rear platform 13 isadapted to have a table forming platform 14 mounted over each of itsrear wheels in a manner which will be described later. Such table has acentral channel or groove 15 along the same and a pair of end uprightsor limit stops 16 and 17 with slots 18 and 19 therein to allow theapplication and removal of sticks on which leaves of tobacco 20 havebeen placed on the table 14 across the groove 15 by a workman at eachside of the tractor. An abutment plate 14 is located along the outeredge of each table to assist in the placement of the leaves on thetable.

In order to facilitate the handling of the tobacco, tobacco sticks areprovided each composed of conventional sticks 21 and 22, such sticksbeing fastened together by means of hinge members 23 and 24 connected bya pivot 25. The hinge member 23 has a sleeve or hollow portion 26 ofuniform internal size from end to end and with its exterior terminatingin a relatively thin driving edge 27, and with an integral attaching armor extension 28.

The sleeve 26 is adapted to be driven over the end of the conventionalstick 21 and to be secured thereto by a screw or other fastener 29extending through an opening 30 in the arm 28 and with such screwengaging the con ventional stick 21. In like manner the hinge member 24is provided with a sleeve or hollow portion 31 of uniform internal sizeterminating in a thin edge 32 so it can be driven onto a conventionalstick 22, the sleeve 31 having an arm 33 provided with an opening 34through which another fastening screw 29 may be applied to fasten thearm 33 to the conventional stick 22. Thus the sticks 21 and 22 will befastened together at one end to provide a dual leg holder or tobaccostick across and between which leaves of tobacco are adapted to beretained.

In order to secure the leaves of tobacco between the two legs formed bythe sticks 21 and 22, a metal strip 35 may be provided having a seriesof nails or headed members 36 which form prongs or tines, and theseserve to penetrate the leaves of tobacco and retain them distributedalong and between the two legs of the stock. The metal strip 35 isadapted to be secured to one of the sticks by nails or other fasteningmeans 35. The nails or headed members which form the prongs or tines maybe spot welded or otherwise readily secured to the metal strips and thestrips produced in any desired lengths.

In order to mount the tables on the tractor, a pair of sleeves orsockets 40 are provided to each of which a plurality of mounting legs 41are welded or otherwise attached. The legs 41 have flattened portions ontheir free ends and such portions have openings for the reception offasteners 42 whereby the sleeves may be secured to the fenders 43 of thetractor. Each table 14 has a depending post 44 rigidly attached to thebottom and telescopically receivable within a sleeve 40. The post 44 issecured to the sleeve 40 by a pin 45 adapted to pass through openings 46in the sleeve and an aligned opening 47 in the post and thereby preventboth rotational and vertical movement of the tables 14.

In the use of the tobacco harvesting stick of the present invention, thesmooth leg 21 is disposed in horizontal position on the table over thewheels, while the opposite leg 22 to which the metal strip 35 isattached with the prong-forming nails or headed members 36 is disposedin elevated position against a prop 37 so it will not interfere with theplacing of tobacco on the lower horizontal leg, and after tobacco isplaced across this lower leg uniformly throughout its length thusfilling the leg, the upper leg may be brought down to a positionoverlying the lower leg so that the prongs or tines 36 penetrate thetobacco and bind the tobacco against the lower leg. Any desired meansmay be employed for fastening the two legs in leaf binding or holdingposition such as for example a chain 38 preferably on the lower leg andadapted to engage a hook 39 on the upper or opposite leg.

In view of the configuration and manner of attachment of the hingemembers 23 and 24 connected by the pivot 25, there is sufiicient spacebetween the hinge members to receive and accommodate the hand thus tofacilitate the handling of the assembly loaded with leaves of tobacco.Further by the provision of the hinge with the sleeves which can bedriven onto conventional sticks a harvesting tobacco stick can beprovided of minimum expense and of simplest construction and maximum useto an individual farmer.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which isillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but onlyas indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus utilized in the harvesting of leaves of tobacco comprisinga table having a longitudinally disposed channel extending the fulllength thereof, means for rernovably mounting said platform on avehicle, an

upright stop extending substantially across each end of said table, eachupright stop having a slot in alignment with said channel, an uprightabutment plate extending along one side of said table from one stop tothe other, a tobacco stick rernovably mounted on said table, said stickincluding a first leg receivable within said channel and extendingthrough the slots in said upright stops, a second leg hingedly connectedat one end to one end of said first leg, a plurality of tines on saidsecond leg, means for retaining said second leg in an elevated positionwhile leaves of tobacco are being placed on said table and first leg andagainst said abutment plate, and means for securing the opposite ends ofsaid legs in generally parallel relation when said stick has beenfilled.

2. Apparatus utilized in the harvesting of tobacco comprising a portableplatform having a longitudinal channel extending entirely along thelength of the same and located substantially along the longitudinal axisthereof, means for moving said platform through a field of tobaccoplants, a stop extending substantially across each end of said platform,each stop having a slot in alignment with said channel, an abutmentplate extending along one side of said platform and attached to saidplatform and each of said stops, said platform being of a width tosupport individual leaves of tobacco, whereby when said leaves oftobacco are picked, they are directly placed on said platform with thestems abutting said plate so that said leaves are substantially inalignment.

3. The structure of claim 2 including a tobacco stick having a pair ofelongated legs, hinge means pivotally connecting one end of one of saidlegs to one end of the other leg in spaced relation to each other, saidone leg being relatively smooth, a plurality of tines mounted on saidother leg, said one leg being longer than said platform and receivedwithin the channel of said platform and the slots of said stops beforethe leaves of tobacco are placed thereon, and means on said platform forretaining said other leg in a generally vertical position while leavesof tobacco are being placed on said platform.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which said plurality of tines are mountedon a metal strip, means for permanently attaching said tines to saidstrip, and means for attaching said strip to said other leg.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 43,669 10/73Combs 16-128 X 1,322,648 11/19 Sullivan 294- 2,048,380 7/36 Hansen16-128 2,494,379 1/50 Droerner 294-55 2,702,134 2/55 Alphin 21483.12,808,283 10/57 Vickers 214-55 X 2,904,194 9/59 Jones et a1. 214-552,933,206 4/60 Alphin 214-55 3,008,175 11/61 Biedinger et al 16-1283,107,018 10/63 Mish 214-55 X 3,107,792 10/63 Mish 214-5.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 5,264 4/85 Great Britain.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Examiner.

1. APPARATUS UTILIZED IN THE HARVESTING OF LEAVES OF TOBACCO COMPRISINGA TABLE HAVING A LONGITUDINALLLY DISPOSED CHANNEL EXTENDING THE FULLLENGHT THEREOF, MEANS FOR REMOVABLE MOUNTING SAID PLATFORM ON A VEHICLE,AN UPRIGHT STOP EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ACROSS EACH END OF SAID TABLE,EACH UPRIGHT STOP HAVING A SLOT IN ALINGMENT WITH SAID CHANNEL, ANUPRIGHT ABUTMENT PLATE EXTENDING ALONG ONE SIDE OF SAID TABLE FROM ONESTOP TO THE OTHER, A TOBACCO STICK REMOVABLE MOUNTED ON SAID TABLE, SAIDSTICK INCLUDING A FIRST LEG RECEIVABLE WITHIN SAID CHANNEL AND